Monty gave the thumb down danger close signal, and Ryan felt tension rise thick in the air.
His heart rate climbed rapidly with anticipation. Like flicking a switch, his exhaustion disappeared, his vision narrowing in the fading darkness on a man fifteen metres ahead.
They weren’t expecting foreign enemies this high in the hills, yet they spotted a man approaching, full beard, AK-47 raised and ready. Knowing it was the weapon of choice for the Taliban, Monty ordered quickly, “Shoot to kill, Kendall.”
His entire team dropped and found immediate cover as Ryan stood alone, heart in his throat, his eyes trained on the enemy.
Ryan raised his assault rifle, his breathing harsh to his own ears, and with narrowed eyes and steady hands, he opened fire.
Enemy fire returned rapidly. Ryan felt the heat of the bullets tear past him, knowing he was seconds away from one ripping into him and bringing him down.
As his bullets found their target, Ryan watched the Taliban fighter jerk, blood exploding outwards as he fell hard, shock the last fleeting image on his face.
“Enemy dead,” Ryan roared.
From his corner vision, Ryan caught another Taliban fighter—rocket-propelled grenade in hand—ducking and weaving through the brush ahead.
“Twelve metres full left, one enemy,” he yelled.
Instincts kicking in, Ryan dived for cover and moments later a PKM machine gun opened fire on their patrol and the battle was on.
“Fuck,” he heard Jake growl beside him as they returned fire.
Fuck was right. Their team had trekked right into a nest of insurgents.
As machine gun fire cracked into the rocks around them, Monty pulled out a map and Tex began radioing their coordinates back to base, calling in an immediate air strike.
The orange light of dawn began its approach, slowly revealing their position to the enemy.
“Jesus fucking Christ. We need to retreat,” Ryan growled.
“Cover me,” Jake yelled from the other side of the rocks.
With his heart pounding fiercely, Ryan stood and opened full fire. Jake broke cover. Hunching over, he ran for a better position to take out the PKM that was spewing heavy fire.
New shots rained down from above, taking their team by surprise, and as Ryan turned to fire, he saw Jake fall.
“Tanner!” Ryan shouted hoarsely. “Man down!” he yelled at Galloway. “Cover me.”
Galloway unhooked his rocket launcher, and as the explosive rounds lit up the sky, Ryan rushed out and skidded to the ground, grabbing Jake in his hard grip and dragging him to cover.
With the PKM no longer heard, Kyle stood guard in front of them, his rifle raised.
With Jake laid out on his back, Ryan crouched over him. His eyes fell on the bullet wounds to his shoulder and neck. Thick, red blood was flowing freely from the neck wound, and as Ryan jammed his fingers on it, it overflowed, spilling over his hands and leaching into the ground.
“Someone get me some goddamn first aid,” he shouted, his voice cracking as he put his entire body weight onto the wound.
Scrambling came from behind him.
“Jake,” he yelled.
Ryan’s jaw clenched when Jake remained unmoving.
Using his other hand, he felt hard for a pulse.
Nothing.
“Damn you, Jake,” he rasped as the heat of bullets cracked wildly around them. “Please.”
Ryan screwed his eyes shut when Jake didn’t move, his heart splintering into a thousand pieces.
“Jake, you asshole! Goddamn you, don’t do this!” he shouted hoarsely. “Don’t leave me.”
Opening his eyes, hot tears poured down his face. Bandages were thrust at him. Blinking through blurred vision, he grabbed at them. He took his hand off Jake’s neck for a split second, the blood a slight trickle before he slammed the bandage down.
It’s not real. I’m gonna wake up in a minute and Jake will be there, strumming that shitty guitar and grinning at me.
Monty crouched down on the other side of Jake and felt for a pulse. With his jaw clenched, he looked at Ryan. “Kendall.” His eyes were raw with grief. “Jake’s gone.”
Ryan couldn’t breathe, his head spinning from the lack of air.
“No.” Ryan shook his head. “He’s not gone. He can’t be.”
Jake was infallible. He was the strongest, the fastest, the best of all of them. Jake was his brother.
Leaning over, he buried his head in Jake’s stomach, images spinning through him as sobs ripped him wide open.
Jake glancing sideways at him. “What grade are you in?”
“Five. You?”
“Same,” he replied, grinning.
Jake looking at him from across the table. “Ghost Recon rematch?”
Jake standing beside him. “Don’t let this shit beat you, Kendall. Dig deep and show these cunts how it’s done.”
“Ryan’s lazy,” Jake told Fin, his eyes glinting with laughter. “He falls asleep during all our training exercises.”
Jake’s voice cutting through the silence. “How long have you been in love with my sister?”
Jake’s eyes as Ryan looked at him from over his shoulder. “I love the two of you. I just want you both happy. You know what I’m saying, don’t you?”